A woman from Wisconsin, charged in connection with the death of her 12-year-old son last year, insists that his significant weight loss was due to a terminal illness. At the time of his death, the boy weighed only 56 pounds.

Prosecutors, however, contend that Tina Beauprey failed to provide her son with adequate nutrition and care, as reported by WLUK.

During a court session on Wednesday, Beauprey attended a bond hearing where she was instructed to return the following Monday for her initial appearance. Judge Laura Lavey mandated that Fond du Lac County District Attorney Kristin Menzl submit a formal criminal complaint before the next court date.

According to a probable cause statement, an autopsy revealed that the boy died from starvation, categorizing his death as a homicide. The statement did not reference his medical condition, which, according to defense attorney Michael Queensland, was Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association states that this disorder predominantly affects boys, who often live into their 30s or 40s. The disease is characterized by progressive muscle weakness and does not normally result in sudden weight loss.

As reported by WLUK, the probable cause statement indicated that the boy’s weight dropped from 80 pounds in November 2024 to 56 pounds at the time of his death. Notably, 15 percent of this weight loss occurred in the five weeks leading up to his passing on December 5, 2025.

“It appeared that during these last years, specifically, that there was care not being provided to the child, including a lack of food,” Menzl said at the hearing. “The victim’s health declined significantly in about the two days prior to his death. At that time, the defendant did not seek out any medical care for the victim, even though it was obviously he was declining.”

Queensland told the judge that the boy’s weight loss was expected because of his condition.

“The family had been informed that the child was terminally ill,” Queensland said. “He was going to lose weight. And soon, was going to need a feeding tube.”

Lavey gave Beauprey a $500,000 bond. She is charged with neglecting a child causing death, jail records show.